Gratitude and Validation

It’s Sunday night and I am faced with another week of playing catch up. I had a great weekend celebrating my boyfriend’s birthday and cleaning my apartment till it shone, but this post may be the only truly productive thing I can cross of my to do list.

But while I was feeling a bit down on myself tonight, I just received the biggest pick-me-up I could have asked for…right here on this blog.

Tonight, I discovered that I have TWO (new) followers!

For me, this is a monumental and momentous thing and I wanted to take the time to say THANK YOU to both of them for taking the time to check out my blog and consider it worthwhile enough to follow.

And I would especially like to thank Linda from Heartfire At Home for her comments – another first!

Your words were so kind and encouraging and I thank you for them and for your suggestions. It’s nice to know that you’ve been where I am and are now enjoying a successful blog!

My family has been so supportive of me, but sometimes the validation of a stranger (though of course I now consider you a close, personal friend) is really what means the most.

So THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to you both. You have made my night...and my weekend.

*The graphic shown above is a letterpress card printed by Swayspace, a design company based out of Brooklyn, NY. I love everything to do with letterpress printing and their work is exquisite. Check out more of their pieces at http://swayspace.com.

Quote of the Day

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” - G.K. Chesterton

One thing I have learned from 7 ½ years at my day job is how not to run a business.

You see one can’t be so consumed with the bottom line that, at the end of the day, they forget who helps get them there.

Acknowledgement is the easiest - and cheapest - way to retain employees. Appreciation keeps the best and brightest workers engaged, motivated and loyal. Without it, offices turn into high speed revolving doors with a sky rocketing rate of turnover.

I’ve seen a lot over the course of my time at work and most of the problems I have witnessed could have easily been solved with a little bit of acknowledgement, a modicum amount of common sense and lots of communication.

Of course running a business involves a juggling act of epic proportions, but I truly believe that some people are meant to make deals and some people are meant to be leaders. And in order to run a successful business, you have to be able to recognize which one you are and make sure you hire someone to take care of the other.

That hasn’t happened at my company, but I know that’s not an anomaly.

While it has proven frustrating (to the point of consuming most of my focus and energy over the last week and a half) I’ve learned to see the silver lining in it – which is that I now know how not to run a business.

I know that when I finally reach the point of hiring employees, I will invite open communication, criticism, new approaches and fresh ideas. I will also do my best to weed out the incompetent and retain the best and brightest with heaps of acknowledgement, gratitude and the like.

After all these years in my sometimes unsatisfying work environment, I’m chomping at the bit to prove myself as a worthy leader and that all it takes is a bit of common sense to keep those invested in making your business a success…happy and loyal to the task.

Go(ing) Ape All Over Independence Day

I can happily say that I spent the Independence Day holiday weekend declaring independence from my own laziness of years past…as evidenced by my jam-packed schedule:

Friday evening: two hours of sailing on the Potomac followed by a pick-up picnic with my sister and friend. And in case you were wondering, a pick-up picnic is what happens when a picnic table meets a pick-up truck…genius!

Saturday morning: forty peaceful laps in the pool and more reading in my all-time favorite book “Eat, Love, Pray”.

Saturday evening: a lovely night spent at The Barns at Wolf Trap listening to the Gipsy Kings.

Sunday morning: an exhilarating three hours spent in the treetops of Rockville Regional Park with Go Ape! I particularly loved their tagline “Live Life Adventurously”.

Sunday evening: a happy Fourth of July spent with good friends and family eating, playing games and watching the DC fireworks.

Monday: a relaxing day spent sleeping in, reading, swimming and going on a lunch date with my boyfriend.

I end this entry with a message of gratitude for all those who have fought for – and are fighting for – the freedom of this country. Thank you for giving me the freedom to take advantage of all these wonderful opportunities and experiences.